


Success Rate

by mountain_ash



Series: Things I Write on Tumblr dot com [29]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Human Derek Hale, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Tumblr Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7804366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mountain_ash/pseuds/mountain_ash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where a computer program finds your soulmate, Derek thinks he's already found and lost his one and only. When Stiles gets sent his way, he doesn't know what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Success Rate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dearesthale (Kaonashiecho)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaonashiecho/gifts).



> Originally on [tumblr](http://a-mountain-ash.tumblr.com/post/150234002575/dearesthale-prompted-me-to-write-a-soulmate-fic)!!

He had always been a very specific child, Derek. His bed had to be made every morning with the hospital fold; his sandwiches needed a specific number of slices of cheese and meat and had be cut at a neat diagonal; his homework had to be done only with one particular brand and color of pen. He even started doing his family’s laundry when he was ten because his shirts had to be folded just so. 

What he was most particular about, however, were his expectations for his eventual soulmate. Derek had an entire journal full of thorough descriptions and bulleted ideas for who his perfect person should be. Talia gently warned him from time to time that he shouldn't be so definitive, because soulmates weren't like chemical formulas- they weren't tailored to your needs. It would just be another person that the soulmate computer would pair him with once it found the right match. 

You see, the soulmate process wasn't some magical moment that occurred when you saw someone and suddenly the world was colorful. It was actually a complex computer algorithm based on old fashioned dating websites and designed by the enigmatic programmer Lydia Martin. At birth, infants were implanted with a chip that monitored their physiological and psychological reactions to the events and people around them. The computer was constantly searching the system for soulmates only to be revealed once a person was at least 18 years old and the timeframe for results could range from instantaneous to decades delayed. After fixing the initial bugs in her beta program, Lydia’s system, called DataMates, had a 99.93% success rate. Only 0.07% of soul pairs split apart. 

When Derek was 16 and Kate took his virginity, he was sure she was his soulmate. She was perfect. She was athletic, and intelligent, and loved poetry, just like his journal said she would. The computer just hadn't told her yet because he wasn't 18. He only had to wait a couple more years and their relationship would finally be validated by an algorithm. Except it wasn’t. When he was 17, Kate had asked him if she could explore his family’s heirloom vault but he’d told her he wasn’t allowed into it and she’d broken up with him a few weeks later. Heartbroken, Derek had burnt his journal. Kate had been his soulmate and he’d screwed it up.

Seven years later, on November 20th, Derek received an email from DateMates. 

“ _ Dear Mr. Derek Hale, _

__ _ From all involved at DataMates, we are pleased to inform you that the algorithm has located your soulmate. We have observed your schedule during the upcoming week and would ask that you reserve Tuesday and 5:30 pm in order to meet Mr.  _ _ Meonienim _ _ Stilinski, preferably known as Stiles, at the Java House on the corner of Fifth and Walnut. Thank you for your lifelong commitment to the DataMates program and we wish you and Stiles the best. _

_ Sincerely, _

_     Lydia Martin and the DataMates Team” _

Derek stared at the email in confusion for a considerable length of time before scoffing and slamming his laptop closed in anger. As he careened through the Preserve in an effort to erase the email from his mind, all he could do was think of the email. They were wrong. Kate had been his soulmate and he’d been too young to handle it properly. The system clearly knew that he’d messed up its first option and was giving him their seconds. He dreamt of Kate whispering poetry in his ear that night and woke in a cold sweat the next morning.

Tuesday came and Derek didn’t go to Java House. Apparently, DataMates didn’t think that was acceptable.

_ “Dear Mr. Derek Hale, _

__ _ We at DataMates are aware that you did not arrive at your scheduled SoulMeeting this evening at 5:30 pm. While your soulmate did not contact us with concerns we are certain that he must be disappointed. We have rescheduled your SoulMeeting for tomorrow again at 5:30 pm at the same location. Please arrive promptly or a DataMates representative will be sent to your home to discuss your difficulties. _

_ Sincerely, _

__ _ The DataMates Team” _

Derek sighed and shut his computer, this time a touch more gently. He wouldn’t be able to avoid this forever and he knew it. DataMates would force him to go forward with the pairing or have him arrested for breach of the contract he officially signed back when he was 16. Back when he thought Kate was his one and only. Back when she thought so too.

The next day at 5:30, Derek stood outside the door of Java Hut with crossed arms and a scowl until someone cleared a throat beside him and he turned to look. A youngish looking man with wide shoulders, gangly limbs and mole spotted cheeks grinned at him impishly. 

“Uh, hi.” The boy said in a surprisingly deep voice. “Are you Derek?”

He could run away now, Derek thought. He'd showed up. He could just say they'd been wrong and he wasn't into men. It wouldn't really be a lie, since he’d never been attracted to one before. Most people tried not to be too firm with their sexuality because the program didn't let you pick, but it did happen sometimes that sexualities weren't compatible. That was part of the 0.07%. 

“Yeah.” Is his only response. 

“Oh, um, well I'm Stiles. We're soulmates, I guess.” The boy seemed painfully shy and Derek wasn't going to be such an asshole as to make him carry the introductions alone.

“Yeah, that's what the emails say. Sorry about yesterday.”

“Hey dude, it's fine. This stuff is so awkward, right? Like ‘oh go meet this person you've never met before and be with them for life.’ That's some high pressure right there.”

_ God, does he have a filter?  _ Derek thought to himself.  _ Does the algorithm really think I'm supposed to tolerate this? Has it paid any attention at all the last 24 years? _

“It's high stakes alright.” Derek nodded awkwardly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Do you want to go in?”

“What? Oh right, I guess we're supposed to actually sit and talk and stuff.” He continued speaking as he stepped through the door Derek held for him. “I don't really like coffee shops though. I don't get why DataMates set us up here. I always feel like I'm under a microscope when I talk to people at them.”

“Oh.”  _ How was he supposed to respond to that? This kid was an open book.  _ “I think they're nice.” Derek answered bluntly, no sympathy in his voice.

Stiles looked up at him in surprise, a slight blush coloring his pale cheeks. He was nothing like Kate. Nothing like the person he'd written about in his journal. Derek hated this. This was a pity setup.

“You don't beat around the bush, huh? That's cool I guess.” 

“Are you ready to order?” The barista asked, and Derek realized Stiles had drawn them towards the counter without him noticing. 

“Just a black coffee, please.” Derek said nervously, not wanting to spend more time looking at the menu, before looking to Stiles. “I can buy for you. If you want.” He tacked on awkwardly.

“Oh thanks. Just a small decaf coffee for me."

Derek rose an eyebrow at the order but didn't say anything. Decaf coffee always seemed pointless to him. 

“I can't have caffeine.” Stiles said abruptly as they sat down with their drinks a couple minutes later.

“What?” Derek asked in confusion.

Stiles grinned crookedly and Derek found himself thinking it was strangely cute but equally infuriating. “I saw the face you made when I ordered.”

Derek blushed in embarrassment and hid his face behind a sip of still-too-hot coffee. “Oh. Sorry. I just don't understand decaf coffee.”

“I like the taste but I can't handle the caffeine with my Adderall.”

ADHD would certainly explain this kid a bit but it also further convinced Derek that Stiles was all wrong. He needed someone calm, stable, steady. He was too anal retentive for someone as messy and imprecise as Stiles seemed to be. As if on cue he could feel Stiles’ leg jiggling against the table leg and he frowned in frustration. As he took another sip of his coffee, Derek missed Stiles look away dejectedly.

Over the course of the next half hour Stiles revealed he was a college sophomore at Berkeley studying Criminology and Economics (the least romantic majors possible in Derek’s opinion), called himself a certifiable clutz numerous times, and talked about several other topics Derek paid admittedly little attention to. Suddenly Stiles wasn’t speaking anymore and Derek was jolted from his distraction by the scrape of the young man’s chair pushing back from the table.

He looked up in confusion to see Stiles determinedly shoving his phone in his pocket and clenching his jaw tightly. “Where are you going?” His voice came out disinterested and his stomach twisted as he saw Stiles squeeze his eyes shut.

“Do you actually care?” Derek could hear the tight sound in Stiles’ voice and he knew the kid was holding back tears.

“I--yes.” Derek offered weakly as he stood to follow Stiles out of the shop. People had begun staring at them sympathetically.

“Look, if you didn’t want to be here, you should have told DataMates, okay Derek? Why did you make me come?”

It was raining outside, but Stiles had turned and stopped on the sidewalk just outside the cafe and the pounding water had already flattened his messy brown hair. His chest was rising and falling rapidly with the exertion of holding in his tears and he seemed to be looking everywhere but Derek.

“I don’t-I don’t know.” He struggled lamely to answer sufficiently. What did he think was going to happen when he got here?

“Do you know how excited I was to meet you?” Derek just grimaced and shook his head at the puddle forming under his feet. “Is it because I’m a guy? Did you get here and realize you probably couldn’t get it up with a guy just because a computer thinks we’re good together?” 

Stiles voice is growing more and more tear-choked and Derek grinds his teeth as the kid’s crude words hit him. He sounds cruel when it’s put that way. He is cruel. 

“Sunday was my 18th birthday, did you know that?” Stiles continues. Derek opened his eyes in shock. Sunday. Sunday was the day he got the email. “That email was the best birthday present I could have imagined. That email meant the computer had been saving someone just for me to finally be old enough.”

“Sunday was your birthday.” Derek said dumbly, finally bringing himself to look at Stiles who stood only three or four feet away. His face was tight and guarded as Derek spoke, but he couldn’t hide the bitter disappointment and heartbreak in his eyes. 

Stiles was only 18, which meant the algorithm had been waiting six years to pair them together. Stiles was only 18, which meant the algorithm never meant to pair him with Kate. Stiles was only 18, which meant it wasn’t Derek’s fault that Kate left him. He thinks that’s what it probably means anyway. He isn’t sure yet. 

“Yes, Derek. Sunday was my fucking 18th birthday, and you were supposed to be the best fucking present I could ever ask for.”

“I’m sorry, Stiles.” Derek hadn’t ever really practiced using his words before. Kate had always done all the talking and he didn’t think he’d ever have to deal with the soulmate system again. “I thought I had ruined my chances for this. A long time ago.” He looked up to see how Stiles was reacting and found the younger man looking exceptionally confused. 

“Ruined your- what’d you do? Kill someone?” 

The absurdity of the prospect mixed with Stiles’ endearingly earnest tone startled a laugh out of Derek which he quickly stifled when he saw Stiles turn away in offense.

“Wait! Wait. I just-I don’t want to get into that yet, but no. I didn’t kill anyone. I just didn’t think you were the real deal.”  
  


“Oh.” Stiles furrowed his brow as he twisted his long fingers together in nervous thought. “Well, you’re not disappointed are you?” The self-conscious vulnerability in Stiles’ voice made something in Derek crack open a little and he didn’t know how to be honest without breaking this fragile boy more than he already had.

“No. I just didn’t think you were the algorithms first choice.”

It was apparently the wrong thing to say because Stiles’ bit his lower lip and squeezed his eyes shut in an apparent attempt to stifle more tears.

“So you love someone else?” He finally asked, his voice clogged and thick. The rain was falling harder now and Derek realized they were shouting over the clatter of drops on concrete as Stiles’ thin sweatshirt clung uselessly to his broad shoulders.

“I don’t-there’s no,” he stammered ineffectively. “She doesn’t love me anymore.” He said finally and as he said it, Derek realized something that made him reach out and grip Stiles’ hand loosely. “She never did and I don’t anymore.”

Stiles looked down at their joined hands before slowly trailing his eyes up Derek’s arm and finally landing on his face as though to confirm the hand truly belonged to him. The hurt and distrust still dominated the emotions warring on Stiles’ face but this time Derek found himself hoping to reassure him rather than escape him and he tightened his grip.

“Let’s go get some dry clothes.” He said reassuringly. Maybe they didn’t have to be in the 0.07%. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated and come visit me on [tumblr](http://a-mountain-ash.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
